one poll i saw, cbs, had approval rating for congress, 11%. really, the president has them in the corner, arguing against tax cuts for the middle class. i think that is not where the republicans want to be. ultimately, i think they are going to have to step back. i don't know -- i doubt they will be able to do a big thing in the next two days, i think they will do a mauler package. but they are -- they're facing real voter backlash if we go over the cliff and tax cuts go up on the middle-class voters. >> we are hearing a number of lawmakers saying, i don't think it's the worst thing, senator johnson who was just with us said that he thinks it is being over dramatized, it is not the worst possible thing to go over the cliff. how do the republicans spin it if we do? >> i don't think it's how they need to spin it. i think doug is absolutely right that president obama has won on this, i think very short-term battle with respect to the tax cuts. however, the bigger issue that we are not discussing enough, which i think this whole debate should have